The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-12
ATTACKED BY LIONS.
Marrow Escape of n Tanner In bridgeport
Another ease i'm Chicago
New York World.


Another ease in Chicago.
New York World.
BRIDGEPORT. june 9.-Joseph Delorme
was engaged last winter as a driver for
the Standard Cab Company in this city
and continued in the service until the
Great Moral Show" opened in Madison
Square Garden, n. y. Delorme secured
a position with the show as animal keep
er and was given several dens of tigers
and hons to watch, feed and care for.
When the show left New York and
started out on the road, one of the old
keepers resigned his position and De
lcrme was promoted to fill his place.
His duties involved the additional pas
time of riding in the street parade, Gagged
up with a den of lions. Although he
wore the glittering helment and gilded
coat of mail of the former keeper. yet
the three big lions knew very well that
DelOrme was somewhat uncomfortable
in their confined society.
DelOrme carried loaded revolver and
a weighted cowhide. Two of the lions
are docile enough. but the largest one.
oih
Delorme never moved his eyes from
Nimrod. and each day as the parade
passed through the principal streets of
the leading towns, NimrOd and Delorme
could be seen glaring at each other. De
lOrme was anxious To have the lions
teeth drawn, but such suggestion was
secuted by the owners. Some of the
employees laughed at Delorme for keep
ing his eyes 50 persistently riveted on the
lion, but, as matters have turned out,
Delorme was none too cautious. Yes
terday morning the big show paraded
up Ninth street. The first gilded tab
Iau chariot contained "A den of the three
living lions and Delorme, their keeper.
The chariot was drawn by twelve white
horses and led the procession. Bands of
music Were playing. flags flying and the
sidewalks. doors and windows alive
with admiring spectators.
On the corner of Fairfield avenue is
the cab stand, where Delorme had been
engaged last winter. Several cabs, horses
and drivers were grouped behind the
lorme had his eye on the lion until some
of the cabmen shouted to him, calling
his name and waving their hands. For
an instant DelOrme removed his eye oil
the lion to salute his friends, when with
out warning the huge beast sprang to-
wards him with glaring eyes and open
jaws. Delorme dropped upon his knees
and fired his pistol.
The lion. possibly from a jolt of the
chariot, missed his prey. and before he
could turn and spring again Delorme
swung the inside iron gate against him
dividing the den and coniining the fu-
rious beast at one end of it. The crowd
all thought this was a part of the pro-
gramme, but after the parade it was
found that Delorme had had quite enough
of furious lions. He disrobed from his
Grecian gladitorial attire and donned
his everyday Overalls. He handed
i'm his resignation and left the
show. He returned To the cab company
and was given a two-wheeled Her,lic to
drive. This morning he appeared on the
streets attired i'm cabmans IS livery, very
different from that worn by him yester-
day through the same streets
CHICAGO. June 9.-The residents of
Wentworth avenue We're aroused at day
break this morning by n most terrifying
series of shrieks. groans and roars, pro
ceeding from circus located in the
neighbOrhOod. The circus people pro-
ceeded to investigate. Painting on the
floor of the menagerie was found Henry
Decaber, one of the attendants. One of
his legs was torn and mangled. Above
him the lions roared and wrestled with
the restraining bars.
Decaber was terrible laceratei and he
had nearly bled to death by the time as
sistance arrived. When Decaber ree'ov-
cred consciousness he said that lac went
to sleep las, night on the top of the cage
containing the lions. The first thing he
knew was that the beasts had dragged
his leg through the upper bars of the den
and were clawing and biting the flesh of
it. They pulled him off the roof and he
fell down on the floor fainting but how
the excited lion came to let go his limb
| he does not know.